The Hot List: Volume 19

By John Beltz Snyder

December 23, 2011

Every week we sift through a truly amazing amount of “stuff” in the dozen or so hours we spend online—you know, the time spent not driving sweet cars. A lot of the cool stuff we find has to do specifically with new cars, naturally, but there’s also a huge amount of awesomeness that doesn’t completely fit in the normal Winding Road world. Once, we were in the habit of simply reading, watching, or talking amongst ourselves about this web detritus, but recently we thought it might be a good idea to start sharing it with you all. Thus, The Hot List.

We aim to bring you a list of the most interesting bits of information we run across. Ten worth-knowing-about things that may or may not be related directly to the world of cars, but all of which we think our typical enthusiast readers will be able to really dig into. We don’t know, from week to week, what will show up on this list, which is part of the fun for us and for you.

Read, enjoy, and comment. If you happen to know of something that you think would make for a good inclusion on next week’s list, drop us a line at Editor@windingroad.com.

If you’re a dad, or know a dad, you know how awesome dads can be on vacation. This photo blog celebrates the dad on retreat. You can even submit your own dad or somebody else’s dad, but, please, no moms (their rule, not ours).

If you’re like us, you’re keeping your eye on the ways in which the world is going green, be it in the automobile industry, the stock market, etc. For those who don’t want their portfolio to weigh heavily on their conscience, here are some tips for going green in your investments.

On Kickstarter, you can help fund the creation of these motorized shoes, called spnKiX. A pledge of $375 gets you a pair, which is much less than the $649 retail price. They are expected to deliver in March of 2012.

This interesting motorcycle concept was designed by Miroslav Hundak, based loosely on the BMW R1200S. It features three hubless wheels, one in front, and two in the rear. It’s pretty fantastical, but we’re allowed to dream, right?

Hajime Research Institute is building a 13-foot-tall robot with a cockpit built in for a human operator. Finally, your Gundam fantasy will become reality. Now, if only we can get to work on those robot lions. (Now who’s the nerd?)

OnStar will be demonstrating in-car video chat at the Consumer Electronics Show early next year. A new 4G infotainment system will allow you to make video cars from the comfort of you (parked) car. It will first be shown off inside a Chevrolet Volt.

Science, man! The gravity of the galaxy in the center of that picture is so strong, that it warps the view around it, making other galaxies appear as stretched-out blobs. Click through for the full explanation.

Want to drink a beer in space? Now you can. You can buy a flight to space (or opt for the cheaper, zero-gravity flight), and you can get a great view of Earth while sipping space beer. Price includes preparation for flight, a t-shirt, and an afterparty.

A new service to be unveiled by KLM Royal Dutch Airlines will allow you to share your social media profiles when reserving a seat on a flight, and allow you to choose whom you’ll sit next to based on their profile. Whether you’re looking for a potential date in your city of debarkation, or if you just want to avoid the guy whose favorite band is Aerosmith, the choice is up to you. (Yes, the Stone Age iPods in KLM's press materials make us a bit skeptical, too.)